The foe, who takes from us our outward enjoyments and our peace, and who proceeds to torture and even kill the body, is not fo bitter a foe as those are to themselves, who hate the light of truth, and destroy their own fouls-defpife the peace of God, the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. "Peace of mind "was the great thing, to which all the philofophy and "wisdom of the world ever fought to bring men. No "man in his wits would fubmit to perpetual fickness " and pain for the fake of gaining a great fortune; and yet no disease in the world is, for the sharpness of it, comparable to the fting of a guilty mind;" as "no "pleasure is comparable to that of a good confcience." The good man fhall be fatisfied from himself.

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Who ever repented their choice of true religion? or that they chose it in their youth? My young hearers, would you be wife for yourselves? then make early choice of God and Chrift. Would you be wife for foul and body, for time and eternity? then begin life in the fear of the Lord. Be in his fear all your life long. Thus you will spend your years in pleasure. It will be well with you here and for ever. You" defire life "that you may fee good." For the attainment of this end, the true course is that recommended in fome following verfes of the context. "Keep thy tongue "from evil, and thy lips from fpeaking guile; depart "from evil, and do good; feek peace, and pursue it. "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and "his ears are open unto their cry." By poftponing religion, you abridge yourselves of the pleasures of contemplation and love-the pleasures of an approving heart-the pleasures of hope, which springs immortal in the foul, and enables the subject of it to finish his courfe with joy. Neglecting religion in the morning of your days, what heart will you have to it in the evening of them? Many have mourned at the laft, that they hated instruction, and defpifed reproof in their youth: What a review, at the end of life, have thofe

who waste and abuse its golden period? But what pleafure to reflect, when the days arrive, in which earthly delights, or the relish to them, depart, that a religious courfe was early embraced? O tafte and fee that the Lord is good. Bleffed is the man that trusteth in him. Does it not appear, that a religious life is very far from being joylefs? Who but the men of piety rejoice and are glad all their days? In proportion as they prefs toward the mark for the prize of their high calling, they go on their way rejoicing. The ungodly are not fo. In league with death, at agreement with hell, they are wearied in the multitude of their counfels. The way that feemeth right to them, is no other than the way to hell.

Beware left you imbibe early prejudices against the beft course of life-the paths of righteoufnefs and peace. The wisdom from above is an invitation to perfect purity and freedom, peace and joy-to perfect love, which cafteth out fear: It guards against innumerable evils, and fupports under fuch as are unavoidable: It turns forrow into an occafion of joy : It is light in darknefs: It takes away the fting of death. Would to God that all were perfuaded cordially to embrace this heavenly wisdom-the wisdom of the juft. The earlier it is embraced the better-greater peace-more fure hope.

The friend, with whom we have taken sweet counfel, to whom our obligations are the greateft, is often in our thoughts. Would you prove unmindful of that friend, who is "not far from every one of us? in "whom we live, and move, and have our being? who "giveth us all things richly to enjoy ?" Inftead of thinking of him with awe and reverence, gratitude and complacency, would you banish him from your minds? From him all your delights come, even every good and perfect gift. And is he yet unamiable? Is there no pleasure in a fenfe of his fpecial love? in the joy of bis falvation? Would you fay to him, and his friends,

the excellent of the earth, Depart from us? We hope better things of you. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Hereby good shall come unto thee. Religion is the employment of our nobleft powers, and the fource of the highest pleasures of which we are capable-pleasures durable and ever improving. It is a well of water fpringing up to everlasting life.

SERMON XIII.

THE STANDARD OF HONOUR.

PROVERBS, iii. 25.

THE WISE SHALL INHERIT GLORY.

Mx

Y prefent defign is to difcufs and improve this obfervation, That religion is the highest honour.→ Other ftandards have been set up and resorted to. I will attempt to fhew you that they are falfe ftandardsthat you will then honour yourselves, and then only, when you fhew respect to religion, by preferring to all praise the honour that cometh from God. To difcern and pursue this as the true dignity and glory of man, will peculiarly commend thofe who are in the morning of life, and to whom we look to fupport the cause of religion in time to come. In a courfe of fermons to them, it is proper that religion be shewn to be honourable in itself, and the way to honour and glory.

Shall it be taken for granted, that religion debafes man?-that it is fuited only to a few ignoble, groveling fpirits; fuch as cannot rife above vulgar prejudices-bigots of a narrow education? Have perfons of genius, of enlarged minds and improved education, difcovered and proved that it merits contempt rather than reverence? Do fuch as are in reputation for wisdom and honour, think lightly of it? and would mankind be better without it? We hope to fhew yon that such sentiments are wholly unfounded-that the defpifers of religion are infamous, and those who hon